You are here

It’s not the original, but it’s worth seeing

In 1939, the world was introduced to the yellow brick road in The Wizard of Oz. We were given the journey of a young girl trying to find her way back home.

Along the way, she met a Cowardly Lion, a not so bright Scarecrow and a Tin Man with a heart problem (not to mention a brave little dog, too). Together, they all dazzled the eyes and captivated the hearts many as they searched for the Wizard who could help them.

Now, 74 years later, the questions of who was the Wizard and how did he come to Oz is the starting point for the official prequel Oz the Great and Powerful.

Like the original, it begins in black and white in Kansas, where we are introduced to Oscar Diggs, a small-time magician played by James Franco. Oscar dreams of being a great magician and having all the riches of the world. But being more of con artist gets him in trouble.

While trying to flee, he gets caught up in a storm that lands him in the Land of Oz. There he meets a trio of witches who greet him as the wizard prophesied to save them all and sets out on a life-changing adventure.

The thing about making a movie that is the prequel to a huge classic such as The Wizard of Oz is the bar of expectation is usually set too high and with this film it is. So Oz the Great and Powerful will never be as good as what many would hope. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth watching.

Director Sam Raimi has a passion for the material and it shows. With the opening, he pays homage to the original with the absence of color and a smaller format till Oscar lands in Oz. That’s when the visual vibrancy becomes visceral to the senses and Oz is brought to life. The whole look of this fantasy world is nailed, giving the feel of going to a place somewhere over the rainbow. Plus it’s worth experiencing in 3D.

The downside of the film comes in the writing. The three witches are written in a one-note fashion and are never really flushed out or layered. Fans of the musical Wicked will probably be disappointed. The story of how everything came to be is fun to watch play out, but never really diving into who these characters are is a disservice to the film.

Franco does a decent job but doesn’t quite capture the enchantment and amazement of the Wizard. He falls a little flat. In Franco’s defense, though, it requires a lot of acting fortitude to act with characters that don’t exist in a world that doesn’t exist.

Overall, Oz the Great and Powerful isn’t a bad film; it just doesn’t meet everyone’s high expectations. Don’t compare it to the original, you won’t like it, but rather view it as its own film and enjoy it for what it is: A chance to go to another world.